Jump to content

Page:Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography (1900, volume 5).djvu/512

From Wikisource
This page needs to be proofread.
482
SHAPLEIGH
SHARPLESS

SHAPLEIGH, Frank Henry, artist, b. in Boston. 7 March, 1842. He studied under Etnile l.ain- binet in Paris, and has spent his professional life in his native city. His paintings include " Venice," "Yosemite Valley," "Mirror Lake," "Cathedral Rocks," "Mount Washington," " Cohasset Harbor," "Northern Peaks," "The White Mountains," " Fort Marion, St. Augustine," " Fort at Matanzas, Florida," and "Old Mill in Seabrook."


SHAPLEY, Rufus Edmonds, author, b. in Carlisle. Pa., 4 Aug., 1840. He was graduated at Dickinson college in 1860, studied law. was admit- ted to the bar, and has practised in Philadelphia since 1866. He has published "Solid for Mul- hooly: a Political Satire on Boss Rule" (New- York. 1881). and. in collaboration with Ainsworth R. Spoflord, has edited a " Library of Wit and Hu- mor ' : (5 vols.. Philadelphia, 1884).


SHARKEY, William Lewis, senator, b. in Mussel Shoals, Tenn., in 1797; d. in Washington, D. C., 29 April, 1873. He removed with his par- ents to the territory of Mississippi in 1804, and, as a substitute for his uncle, was present at the battle of New Orleans. After graduating at Greenville college, Tenn., he studied law-, was admitted to the bar of Mississippi in 1822. and began practice at Warrenton. He removed to Vicksburg in 1825, was elected a member of the legislature in 1827, and was chief justice of the court of errors and appeals in 1832-'50. In 1865 he was appointed provisional governor, and in ISiil! was elected U. S. senator.


SHARON. William, capitalist, b. in Smiih- field. ( )hio. 9 Jan., 1821 : d. 13 Nov., 1885. He re- ceived a good education and studied law, but relini[uished it to engage in banking in Nevada. He became largely interested in silver-mines in that state, and amassed great wealth. He after- ward became a trustee of the Hank of California, in San Francisco, and during the troubles of that institution, arising out of the death of its presi- dent, he brought its affairs to a satisfactory settle- ment. He was United Staie^ -enator from Nevada from 1875 till 1881. He gained notoriety as de- fendant in a case for divorce that was instituted against him by Sarah Althea Hill, who. claiming to be his wife, gained her suit, and married Judge David S. Terry, who was her counsel in the case. SHARP, Daniel, clergyman, b. in HudderMicld. England, 25 Dec., 1783; d. near Baltimore, Md.. 23 April. 1853. He came to this country in 1805 to engage in commercial pursuits, but soon abandoned these to devote him- self to the ministry. After a course of study in Philadel- phia, he became, in 1809. pastor of the Baptist church in Newark, N. J. From 1812 until his death he was pastor of a church in Boston. For several year he was associate editor of the " American Baptist Magazine."

He was president of

tin- Maptist missionary board in Boston, the first president of the American Baptist missionary union, president of the board of trustees of Newton theo- logical seminary for eighteen years, a fellow of Brovn university from 1828 to the time of his death, and an overseer of Harvard. He received the honorary degree of D. D. from Brown in 1828. and Harvard in 1843. Dr. Sharp published numerous discourses and sermons. The " Recognition of Friends in Heaven " passed through four editions. SHARP. Jacob, capitalist, b. in Montgomery county, N. Y., in 1817: d. in New- York 'city, 5 April. 1888. He was of humble parentage and worked on a farm till 1837, when he began rafting on the Hudson river. He saved money, dealt in timber, and furnished the material for the build- ing of piers and bulkheads in New York city. In 1850 he conceived the scheme of a street railroad to be constructed on Broadway, and in 1884, a HIT years of scheming against powerful opposition, he succeeded in his object. He was afterward ar- rested on the charge of bribing the New York board of aldermen in connection with securing the resolution for the construction of the Broad- way street railway, and on 14 July, 1887, was sen- tenced by Judge Barrett to confinement for four years and a half in the state prison, and to pay a fine of $5,000. The court of appeals, on 29 Nov., lss7. set aside the conviction, and Sharp was re- leased in $40.000 bail. He never recovered from tin etl'ei t of his conviction and imprisonment.


SHARPE, George Henry, lawyer, b. in King- ston, N. Y., 26 Feb., 182s : d.' in New York city. 13 Jan., 1900. Pie was graduated at Rutgers in 1847, was admitted to the bar in 1854, and practised until he entered the army in 1861 as captain in the 20th New York infantry. He became colonel of the 1-,'nih New York infantry in 1862, and took part in all the battles of the Army of the Potomac. He served upon the staffs of Gens. Hooker, Meade, and Grant, and was brevetted brigadier-general in 1864, and major-general in 1865. He was attache. I to the U. S. legation at Vienna in 1851, and was a special agent of the state department in Europe in L867. In 1870-'3 he was U.S. marshal for the south- ern district of New- York, and took the census that il"iin'iistrated the great election frauds of 1868 in New Ynrk city, which led to the enforcement of the Federal election law for the first time in 1871. He was surveyor of customs for New York from 1873 till 1878. He was a member of the assembly in 18?9-'83, and in 1880-'! was the speaker. He deliv- ered addresses at Kingston on the centennial anni- ver-arv of t lie organization of the state government in 1*77. and before the Holland society on ils visit to Kingston in 1886. both of which were published.


SHARPE, William, congressman, b. in Cecil county, Md., 13 Dec., 1742; d. in Iredell county, N. C., in July, 1818. He received a classical edu- cation, studied law, and in 1763 began pra< i n e at Mecklenburg, N. C. He was a member of the Pro- vincial congress that met at New Berne in April. 1775, at Hiilsborough in August following, and at Halifax in 1776. He was aide to Hen. (iriffith Rutherford in 1776 in his campaign ag.-iinsi the Indians, and in 1777 was appointed one of the com- mi--iiiners to treat with them. He was a member of the Continental congress in 1779-'82.


SHARPLESS. James, artist, b. in England about 1751: d. in New York city, '.'ii Feb., 1S11. He was intended for the priesthood, but studied art. He came to this country in 1794. but. al- ter remaining here several year,-. IVM-MM! England, reluming to this country in isill). |b is buried in the chmvln anl "I St. Pclcr's in Barclay street. New York. The only known work of Sharpless thai is unquestionably authentic is a collection of small portraits in pastel. These are usually in profile, although some give the lull face. Sharpless used a thick gray paper, softly grained.